It Happened in Rome
by melody's muse
Summary: Buffy and Angel get an unexpected surprise. Part of my "When in Rome" series but can be read as a standalone too. Written for the IWRY 2019 marathon.


**A/N: This is another story in my "When in Rome" series, but again, it can be read as a standalone too. This is a fluffy piece...you know it's my style! I've been wanting to share this little story for a while! Enjoy!**

**XOXO**

There were many things Angel enjoyed now that he was human. He loved the sun hitting his face every morning. He loved the feel of his heart beating in his chest after a strenuous workout. He loved being able to taste food, like the eggs in the pan before him.

Most of all, he loved being with Buffy. To finally be able to be with the woman he loved, after everything they had been through, was nothing short of a miracle. Together, they had carved themselves a life here in this small Rome apartment, and neither of them had been happier.

He thought of their Tuscan honeymoon last summer, and how they had seen more of their villa's bedroom than they had of the actual town. But who cared? Angel had lived over two hundred years. He had seen all of those places before. He'd rather see Buffy anyway.

Realizing he had let his mind wander and that the eggs were done, Angel took the pan off the burner and went about getting the rest of breakfast ready.

As he poured the coffee, the aroma of it filled their small breakfast nook. He then set the table and placed the food in the center. Breakfast was ready. Now, where was Buffy? Usually she would be out here by now.

Angel tapped on the bedroom door and walked in. "Honey, breakfast is ready. Did you fall back asleep?"

Angel pushed the comforter aside, but Buffy wasn't in bed.

The toilet flushed in the bathroom, and moments later, Buffy emerged from the room. Angel immediately took in her pale face and grew concerned.

"I don't feel good," Buffy announced as she headed back to the bed. She was even still wearing her pajamas.

Angel rushed to her side. "What's the matter?"

"I threw up."

Angel smoothed her hair back. "I'm sorry. I guess that means you aren't up for breakfast, huh?"

Buffy grimaced and shook her head. "I think it's food poisoning. We're never eating at that restaurant again. Serves me right for listening to those tourists. Like they think they know Rome better than we do."

"But I ate the same thing and I'm feeling fine."

"Well maybe whoever prepared your food washed their hands."

Buffy sat up and frowned as an unpleasant aroma wafted into the bedroom. "Did you make eggs?"

"Yeah...why? Do you think you can eat now?"

"Oh god, no!" Buffy covered her mouth with her hand and jumped off the bed. She went into the bathroom and retched again.

XOXO

Angel awoke the next morning to a sound coming from the bathroom. After a moment or two of confusion, he realized it was Buffy, and she was obviously sick again.

Angel got out of bed and opened the bathroom door. Inside, he found Buffy hugging the toilet. "Buffy?"

She looked up at him with a pitiful expression. "I guess it's not food poisoning after all."

Angel reached for a paper cup on the counter he used for rinsing his mouth and filled it with tap water. "Here, take this." He handed it to Buffy, who gratefully took it and rinsed her mouth.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," Buffy said. "I thought I was on the mend last night, but I guess not. I must have a stomach bug or something."

"You're definitely sick from something."

Buffy nodded. When she attempted to get up, her face had a pained expression.

"Are you okay?"

Buffy immediately turned back to the toilet and retched again. Angel moved quickly to help hold her hair back as the meager contents in her stomach fell into the toilet.

When she was finished, Buffy moaned. "I think that's it. Could you get me some more water please?"

Angel did as he was asked and Buffy rinsed her mouth again. Once done, she sat the cup on the counter. "Help me get to bed?"

Angel nodded and helped her to her feet. Buffy crawled into the bed and rolled over to her side.

"What can I do for you?"

"Those crackers in the pantry? And a glass of ginger ale? Maybe that will settle my stomach."

"Sure thing." Angel left the room. A few minutes later, he returned with the requested items.

Buffy sat up and nibbled on the saltine cracker. Angel sat next to her, ready to get her whatever she needed. He hated to see his wife in pain.

"I'm going to have to cancel my class," Buffy said. "There's no way I can work when feeling like this. Can you bring me my phone so I can call the girls?"

"You don't have to cancel your class. I could teach it for you."

Buffy smiled. "You would do that?"

"For you, I would do anything."

"You don't mind getting beat up by a bunch of slayers?" Buffy gave him a teasing smile. "Remember, you're human now."

"I think I can hold my own," he said.

XOXO

By the time Angel was ready to go, Buffy was settled on the couch. She had managed to eat the two slices of toast Angel had prepared for her and though she still felt bad, was already feeling a little better.

"Are you feeling any better?" Angel asked her.

"A little. I'm still nauseous but it's easing."

"Maybe you should call Dr. Vincelli."

"It's just a stomach bug."

"Call him. Not everyone has a doctor friend living in their building who can give them free medical advice."

Buffy smiled. Angel was right. The last time he'd convinced her to talk to the doctor, she'd found out her simple sore throat had been strep. "Okay, I'll call him."

"I should go." He kissed her, then put on his jacket.

"Have fun."

"You'll call me if you need anything, won't you?" Angel said.

Buffy nodded. "I will."

"Okay, see you soon." Angel leaned down and kissed her once more. "Don't forget, call the doctor," he said, then walked out the door.

Once Angel was gone, Buffy picked up her phone. If she didn't call him now, she would forget, and Angel was sure to ask when he returned.

XOXO

Dr. Vincelli opened the door and smiled. "Buffy, come in, come in."

"Hi, Dr. Vincelli." Buffy walked into the doctor's apartment. "Thanks for making the time to see me."

"Anything for you." He indicated for her to sit, so she sat on the couch. "What's the problem?" he asked her in English, though his accent was heavily pronounced.

"Well, I'm already starting to feel a little better, so I'm afraid I could be wasting your time. But I promised Angel I would talk to you."

The doctor smiled at her. "You could never waste my time. Now tell me about your symptoms."

"I think I have a stomach virus or something. I've been really nauseous and throwing up since yesterday morning. I thought at first it was food poisoning but if it was, it would be gone by now, right?"

"So your symptoms started yesterday morning."

"Yeah. Well..." Buffy reconsidered her answer. "Actually, come to think of it, I was feeling a little sick to my stomach last week. But that was probably due to the junk food I'd eaten that day."

"When was your last menses?"

"Oh." Why did doctors always have to ask that question? Buffy should have been prepared for it. "Well, I don't remember the date, but I take the pill."

"And you remember to take this pill every day?"

Buffy paused. She hadn't. Last month, she and Angel had been lost in what seemed like a never-ending cave for three days while tracking down a new demon species causing mayhem. The last thing she had thought about was her birth control. She'd had more important things on her mind, like saving the world and not dying.

Was the doctor implying…?

"Buffy?" Dr. Vincelli said when she didn't respond.

"I missed a few days."

"Hmm." Dr. Vincelli said. "I need to ask you a personal question."

"More personal than when my monthly visitor comes?"

"Were you and your husband…" the doctor paused. "Intimate during that time?"

Buffy felt herself blush. Of course they were intimate. They were still in their honeymoon phase. It was how they ended many nights and started most mornings. And when they had returned to their little apartment after their cave adventure, they'd been so happy to be alive. That night in particular, they'd been especially intimate, at least three times. Her face grew hot just thinking about it.

"You think I'm pregnant, don't you?" Buffy finally asked.

Dr. Vincelli smiled at her. "I'd say it's a definite possibility. Take one of those home tests. If it's negative, we'll look at other causes for your illness. But I don't think you're sick. I think you're expecting a i_bambino/i_."

XOXO

Buffy walked back to her apartment in a daze. She couldn't believe it. Could she actually be pregnant?

She wasn't upset. She and Angel talked about having children someday, but neither of them were in a hurry for parenthood. Buffy figured when the time came, they would have time to plan for it.

Buffy walked into her apartment and sat down on the couch. She needed to think. She needed to process this info.

She needed to talk to Angel.

Buffy reached for the phone, then realized he was probably in the middle of teaching her class. He would answer, but she didn't want to disturb him. What would she say anyway? That she might be pregnant but she didn't know for sure yet?

No, she couldn't tell him this over the phone. This was something big. Buffy glanced at the clock and willed the minute hand to move. She would tell him when he got home.

XOXO

Some time later, Buffy was still waiting for Angel on the couch. By now, she was eating more saltines to help keep her nausea at bay and watching some American sitcom dubbed in Italian. She could hardly focus on the tv though, and eventually she turned it off.

Her phone rang, and Buffy reached for it on the couch. She smiled when she saw it was Angel. "Hey."

"Hey. You'll be happy to know I made it through your class with only a few bruises."

Buffy laughed.

"How are you feeling?"

What a question that was, Buffy thought. Nervous? Excited? Scared out of her mind? "I'm okay. The nausea is easing."

"Did you call the doctor?"

"Yes, and he was home today so I already saw him."

"What did he say?"

"It's nothing to be worried about. I'll tell you about it when you get home." There was no way she was telling Angel she could be pregnant over the phone.

"Grazie," Angel said to someone else.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the cafe across the street. I thought I'd pick us up some lunch. Do you feel like you could eat soup?"

"Yes, that sounds wonderful. Hurry back, okay?"

"I'll be there in five minutes. I love you."

Buffy smiled. "I love you too."

She hung up the phone and looked at her front door. She couldn't wait to see Angel walk through it. She couldn't wait to tell him the news.

XOXO

Five minutes later, Angel walked through the front door. He placed the soup on the table before walking over to her.

"Told you I'd be here in five minutes," he said, then kissed her. When he pulled away, he saw Buffy smiling. "You look like you're feeling better. So what did Dr. Vincelli say?"

"Do you remember last month when we were trapped in that cave?"

Angel took off his jacket and hung it up. "Yeah, I don't think I'll forget that. But what does that have to do with you being sick?"

"Because I missed taking my birth control pill a few days. And remember how we celebrated when we got back home?"

Angel took a moment to digest that information, and when the realization struck, his eyes became wide. "Are you telling me you're pregnant?"

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe."

Angel sat down on the couch as if he couldn't stand at the moment. "Wow. So you and I might...we might have a baby."

Buffy nodded. "I know. It was a shock to me too. Although maybe it shouldn't have been. I knew I missed those pills, but I definitely wasn't thinking about that when we got home." Buffy smiled at him. "I've sort of had all morning to think about it. I didn't want to tell you over the phone."

"So what next? Do we take you to see another doctor? One of those, you know, lady doctors? Have her run some tests?"

Buffy laughed softly. "Or we could just buy a pregnancy test."

"Oh. Right."

Buffy smiled. She could tell Angel was still trying to process the news. "Maybe you could go to the store and get one?"

"Yes." Angel stood up and seemed to be relieved that he had a task. "I'll go buy one at the pharmacy down the street. I'll be back in ten minutes."

Buffy reached out for his arm. "Or...we could eat lunch first before it gets cold. Then you could go."

Angel smiled at her. "Right. I guess my mind is all over the place right now."

"Yeah. Mine too."

XOXO

Later that afternoon, Buffy and Angel sat on the couch with three pregnancy tests before them. Buffy had insisted that Angel get three to be certain. She had taken all three, and now, they were waiting for the results.

"How long does it take?" Angel asked.

"A few minutes, so I guess maybe three?"

They were quiet as they waited for the long minutes to pass.

Angel picked up the box of one of the tests and examined it. Buffy anxiously twisted her Claddagh ring around her finger and stared at the tests on the coffee table.

"Angel?"

Angel looked away from the box and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"I want it to be positive. I know I said before I wasn't in a rush for parenthood, but I've been thinking about it all morning. I've been imagining what our lives would be like if we had a child. And the more I think about it, the more I realize I want it."

Angel smiled at her, then leaned forward to press a gentle kiss against her lips. "I hope it's positive too."

"You do?"

Angel took her hands in his. "I was surprised when you told me you could be pregnant, but I wouldn't say it was an unwelcome surprise."

Buffy glanced at the three tests before them, and Angel glanced at his watch.

"I think it's been long enough," he said.

"You look," Buffy said. "My hands are shaking I'm so nervous."

Angel nodded, but when he reached for the tests, Buffy grabbed his arm.

"Wait. What if it's negative?"

Angel smiled. "Well, I suppose if it's negative, you'll stop taking the pill and we'll start working on making a baby."

Buffy smiled at that.

"Ready?"

Buffy nodded.

Angel picked up the three tests and examined the results of each one.

"Well?" Buffy said. "Don't keep me in suspense here. What do they say?"

Angel showed her the three tests, then smiled. "They all say positive."

"Positive?" Buffy snatched the tests from him to get a closer look. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

Buffy looked to Angel and smiled. Tears gleamed in her eyes. "Oh my god. I'm pregnant. We're actually having a baby."

Angel nodded. "We're having a baby."

Buffy grinned, then nodded toward the bedroom. "Want to go celebrate?"

"Are you…feeling okay for that?" Angel asked.

"I feel wonderful," Buffy said.

Angel then stood up, scooped Buffy into his arms, and carried her to the bedroom.

XOXO

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I will be continuing this series and will post more soon! **


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